Operating means for musical instruments



Sept. 25, 192& I

AJNELSON I OPERATING mums FOR MUSICAL ms'rauunn'rs Filed Jul 12, 1926 Patented Sept. 25, 1 92s.

UNITED STATES ALBERT, un son, or BiIrrALo, MINNESOTA.

OP EIfATING, MEANS FOR Application filed July 12,

Thisfinvention' relates to musical devices and means and'methodsfor operating the same.

It is the general object of this invention to provide means for permitting single operator to play two or more instruments at the sametime.

It is more specifically an object to provide a musical device having in combination an instrument of thewiol type, a wind instrument of the type having a'playing slideand means for so positioning said instruments that the former can be bowed and the'latter blown at the same time by a single operator.

It is a further object to provide in such a device means whereby the former instrument can be swung as it is played to operate the slide of thelatter instrument.

Yet another objectis to include in such a device an indicator operated by the swinging movement of the former instrument to indicate the position of theplaying slide of the latter instrument.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection I with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the various views and in which i Fig. 1 is a view inside elevation of the device, the movable parts of the device being shown in full lines in one position and in dotted lines in another position; t

Fig. 2 is a view showing a port'on of the 1 device in end elevation;

' 33 of Fig.1, as indicated by'the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line and Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line Hf of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows.

In the drawings, the seat of a chair or similar support is indicated by the numeral 1. Secured at one side of the chair by suitable thumb screws a clamp 2 is provided having bellied portions adapted to accommodate the two legs of an inverted substantially U shaped standard 3. The standard?) is preferably composed from a solid rod and projects upwardly from theseat 1130 a position ad]acent the position that a persons head would take if he were sitting on the seat. An in-. strument of the type having a playing slide, such as the slide Cornet 1, is held at thefltop of standard 3 byme'ans of a cli '5 and by e 111 bask s (i r se j s we t MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

192s. Serial ne ersvs.

respective legs of standard 3 adjacent the top thereof and secured to the legs preferably. by wing nuts. An instrument of the viol type. such as the violin 7, is provided and has secured thereto, at its base, clamps 8 towhich sleeve 9 is secured. Arm 10 preferably rigid-- ly secured to the two legs of standard 3 has a horizontally extending portion at one side thereof with a shoulder 10" formed thereon, the portion outward from the shoulder 1O" bemg reduced in diameter and forming a pivotal portion extending through the sleeve 9. The extreme outer end of the pivotal portion of the arm 10 is threaded and thumb screw 11 is screwed thereon adapted to hold the sleeve 9 on the pivotal portion of the arm.

Secured to the legsof the standard 3'by clamp 12 and appropriate thumb screws, an arm. 13 is provided curving outwardly from the standard 3 and upwardlyjtherefrom, the

free end of the arm being horizontally apertured'to receive a horizontally extending bolt or pivot member 14. "The outer end of the instrument of the viol type, outward from the fingering portion thereof, has an arm 15 secured thereto. A link 16 is pivoted at one end to the free end of the arm15 and has its other end pivotally secured to one end, of an angular arm 17, the other end of the arm 17 being rigidly secured to one side of the flange end thereof rigidly secured to the handling bar 21 of the playingslide of the instrument 4. Compression spring 22 extends around "arm 13 and has secured thereto at the angularly horizontally extending portion thereof a vertically disposed angular arm 24 having a vertically extending indicating scale. 25 divided into eight gradations suitablynum bered secured thereto. Brace 26 extends bet'A'veenthe-irod 23 andithe arnifil, while brace 27 extends between the angular portions of the rod 24:, said braces giving rigidity to the indicator structure. A vertically disposed slidcway 28 is secured adjacent the indicator 25 at one side thereof and has slidably mounted thereon a sleeve 29 having a horizontal projection at the indicator side thereof projecting partially over the indicator, said sleeve 29 and the horizontally projecting portion thereof forming an indicator pointer. Link 30 is pivotally connected at one end to the sleeve 29 and is pivotally connected at the other end to a projecting portion 17 formed on the arm 17.

A tube having an outwardly flaring upper end is placed immediately below the saliva drain ot' the instrument 4 and is suitably secured to the clamps 2 and 12. The positioning of the instrument 7 of the viol type in respect to the instriunent 4; of the type having a tuning slide is such that the instrument 7 can be held by an operator in convenient position for bowing while at the same time an operator can press his mouth against the mouthpiece 34: of the instrument 4.

The operation of the device is as follows An operator may sit upon the seat 1 of the chair and press his lips against the mouth-piece 3% or" the playing slide instru ment, may hold the outer end of the viol type instrument with his left hand and may hold a bow for bowing the viol instrument in his right hand. The viol instrument can then be fingered in the usual manner and bowed in the usual manner while the operator at the same time can blow the ind instrument 4. As the operator plays the two instruments, he may swing the outer end of the viol instrument about the pivotal portion of the arm 10, thereby transmitting motion through the arm 15, link 16, bell crank lever 17, 18 and 19 and arm 20 to move the playing slide 01 the instrument at. The tone of the wind instrument l can accordingly be changed or varied as the outer end of the instrument 7 is swung upwardly or downwardly. At the same time instrument 7 swung, motion will be transmitted from the arm 17 to the link 30 and indicating pointer 29. Pointer 29 will accordingly move to various positions on the indicating scale 25 as the playing slide of instrument 4t takes various positions. As the indicating scale is divided up into eight various denominative portions designated by dili erent numbers, it can be seen that the operator of the device can readily tell by looking at the indicating scale the exact position of the playing slide of the instrument 4:.

Spring 31 will normally hold the parts of the device in the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 3, but the spring can be readily stretched so as to permit the movement of the parts of the device to the position shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3 or to any intermediate positions. The spring 22 bearing against the arms 15 and 17 will take up lost motion in the device which might occur between the pivots connecting the arms 15 and 17 to the link 16. The tube 32 will provit e a convenient drain for any saliva that in collect in the wind instrument 4. Various adjustments may be made to the standard 3 in the clamp 2 so that the device can be played by persons of various heights. Arm 13 is also capable of adjustment on the standard 3 by means of the clamp12.

Although the device is shown as having in combination but two musical instruments, various attachments may be connected to the bell crank lever so that other instrmnents may be played by motion transmitted thereto through swinging movement of the viol type instrument 7. 7

By means of the indicating scale the two instruments can be played together by asingle operator very accurately. The inventor has abundantly demonstratedthe operation of the device in actual practice and has found the same to be very eilective and sueeessful as a novel musical device. The device is strongly made and will hold up under continued usage. The parts are few and the construction is simple.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of the present invention which, generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described. and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A musical device having in combination, several musical instruments and means for transmitting a swinging movement which may be given to one ol said instruments when played to operate said other instruments.

2. A musical device having in combination an instrument of the viol type, a wind instrument of the type having a playing slide and means for transmitting a swinging motion imparted to said viol type instrument as played to operate the playing slide oi said wind instrument.

3. A musical device having in combination, an instrumentof the viol type, an instrument of the type having a playing slide and means adapted to be operated by a single operator -tor playing both of said instrun'ients at the same time.

4. A musical device having in combination, an instrument of the viol type and a wind instrument of the type having playing slide,means for so positioning said instruments that said first mentioned inst-rument can be bowed and said second 1nentioned instrument blown at the same time by a single operator and means for operating the playing slide of said second mentioned '5. The structure defined in claim 3 and an indicator also operated by a swinging movement of said first mentioned instrument, said indicator showing the position of the playing slide of said second mentioned instrument.

.6. In combination with a bowed instrument of the viol type and a wind instrument of the type having a playing slide, a vertically adjustable standard adapted to hold said instruments'in such relation that said first mentioned instrument can be bowed and said last mentioned instrument blown at the same time by a single operator, the base of said first mentioned instrument being pivoted to said standard andjmeans for operating the tuning slide of said second mentioned instrument from movement imparted thereto by swinging movement of said first mentioned instrument. i r

7. A device for permitting a single operator to play two musical instruments at the same time having in combination, an instrument of the viol class andan instrument of the class having a playing slide, a standard adapted to hold said instruments in operative position, means for pivoting the base to said first having in combination, an instrument o't'the. I viol type, an instrument of the type having a playing slide, a standard upon which said instruments are adapted to be mounted, means for pivoting the base of said first mentioned instrument to said standard, a bell crank lever jiiivotally mounted in relation to said standard, one arm of said bell crank lever being pivotally connected to the playing slide of said second mentioned instr'umentand means for pivotally connecting the other arm oft said bell crank lever to the fingering end of said first mentioned instrument. v

0. 'lhe structure defined in claim 7 and an indicating scale rigidly mounted adjacent the fingering end said former instrument and an indicating arm p'ivotally connected to one end of saidbell crank lever and movable thereby adjacent said scale. to indicate the position of said playing slide on said second mentioned instrument.

10. The structure defined in claim 7 and resilient means interposed between one arm of said bell crank lever and said standard, said resilient means being adapted to normally force the movable parts of said device to such a position that said playing slide will stand in an extreme position.

11. A device "for permitting a single operator to play two musical instruments having in combination, an instrument of the viol type, an instrument of the type having a playing slide, a vertical standard to which said second mentioned instrument is secured and to which said first mentioned instrument is pivoted at its base, an arm secured to said standard and projecting outwardly therefrom adjacent said instruments, a bell crank lever pivoted to the free end of said arm, an arm secured to the free end of said first mentioned instrument, a link pivotally connected to said last mentioned arm and one arm of said bell crank lever, the other arm of said bell crank lever being pivotally connected to said playing slide. 1

' 12. The structure defined in claim 10 and a vertical indicating scale rigidly connected to the outer end of said first mentioned arm, a guide extending longitudinally of said scale, a pointer slidably mounted on said guide, and a link pivotally connected to said pointer and to one arm of said bell crank lever.

13. The structure defined in claim 7 and a tube mounted on said standard below said second mentioned instrument and adapted to carry ofi saliva from said instrument.

14:. The combination with a bowed instrument otlthe viol type and a wind instrument of the type having a playing slide, of a ver-. tically adjustable standard to which said first mentioned instrument is pivoted at its base for swinging movement and to which said second mentioned instrument is secured, an arm adj ustably secured to said standard and projecting outwardly therefrom adjacent said instruments, a bell crank lever pivoted to the itreeend oi said arm,,an arm secured to the free end of said first mentioned instrument, a link pivotally connected to said second mentioned arm and to one arm of said bell crank lever, the other arm of said bell crank lever being pivotally connected to said playing slide and means for taking up the play be ALBERT NELSON. 

